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The primacy of the citrus and green apple fruit is dramatic, but there is depth and nuance here as well, not to mention fresh acidity and enough extract to make the finish linger enticingly on the palate. Boillot’s Clos de la Mouchère is a monopole of nearly 4ha in the lieu-dit Les Perrières. The vines are more than 80 years of age, and each section is vinified and matured separately in cask (70% new). This wine has surprising volume, concentration and length – assuredly close to grand cru in quality. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.Decanter | 96 DEC

The wine has impressive ripeness, with a rich plum fruit and an earthy edge. There is a lovely intensity on the palate, which shows a concentrated extract, fresh acidity and firmish tannins, giving the wine good complexity and lead to a lingering finish. Jessiaume has almost a quarter of the vines in this preeminent premier cru of Santenay, right under the iconic windmill. Just over 4ha are planted to Pinot on the oolitic limestone soils. Picking started on the 23rd of August, the grapes were destemmed and fermented on native yeasts before ageing in cask (20% new).Drinking Window: 2025 - 2040Decanter | 95 DECWafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries, rose petals, dark chocolate and sweet soils tones, the 2020 Santenay 1er Cru Les Gravières is medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, with succulent acids, powdery tannins and an attractively seamless profile.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPThe 2020 Santenay Les Gravières 1er Cru has an open nose with red berry fruit, leather and truffle scents, a little rustic in style. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins, nicely balanced yet I feel it is closing up on the finish and will need time.Vinous Media | 90 VM

A striking young wine, Dauvissat’s brilliant 2020 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest unfurls in the glass with aromas of crisp orchard fruit, orange oil, pear, oyster shell, freshly baked bread and smoke, framed by a deft touch of reduction. Medium to full-bodied, deep and multidimensional, it’s taut and concentrated, with racy acids, chalky structuring and a long, searingly mineral finish. Recent years have delivered so many brilliant renditions of La Forest that it’s hard to pick a favorite between the likes of 2008, 2014, 2017 and 2019, but the 2020 is certainly a worthy entrant into the competition, and it’s worth a special effort to seek out.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95+ RP(Domaine Vincent Dauvissat Chablis "La Forest" 1er Cru White) A highly complex nose combines notes of citrus rind, sea breeze, petrol and shellfish. There is excellent size, weight and intensity to the more robust and muscular if less refined flavors that brim with dry extract before terminating in a mineral-driven and bone-dry but not really austere finale. I very much like the balance, and this should also age gracefully yet it’s not so structured that it couldn’t be approached after 5-ish years if desired. (Drink starting 2030)Burghound | 92-94 BH(Chablis “la Forest”- Domaine Vincent Dauvissat) The 2020 la Forest from Vincent Dauvissat is truly outstanding this year and reminds me very much of the great potential I saw when I first tasted vintages like 1985 and 1990 here, which also were so classically-cut out of the blocks. The superb aromatic constellation delivers scents of apple, pear, lemon, a beautiful base of chalky minerality, paraffin, vanillin oak and a lovely floral topnote that shares a mix of white lilies and lime blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, precise and full-bodied, with impeccable focus and grip, a lovely core of fruit, outstanding soil undertow and a long, zesty and finish that closes with snappy acids and a complex, seamless finish. A classic in the making. (Drink between 2026-2065)John Gilman | 94+ JGThe 2020 Chablis Fôrets 1er Cru is backward on the nose, the most stubborn and recalcitrant of Dauvissat’s Premier Crus despite rigorous coaxing. The powerful palate is linear, like the Montée de Tonnerre, but displays a little more puissance toward the finish. But, maybe, the Montée has more charm. We will see.Vinous Media | 91-93 VM

One of the Dauvissat specialities, the La Forest is a triumph in 2021. From seven small parcels, the total site is less than 1ha with average vine age more than 40 years. Intriguing, slightly smoky nose, highly distinctive and different to others in the range. Plenty of power, ripe stone fruit flavours, zesty citrus acidity with a herbaceous edge adding an extra dimension. Definitely of grand cru quality.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Chablis 1er Cru La Forest is a young classic, mingling scents of sweet citrus oil and peach with notions of white flowers, struck match, bee pollen and youthful reduction in an incipiently complex bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural, it’s concentrated, taut and incisive, with a long, mineral finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPThere is a hint of phenolic character on the aromas of crushed leaf, mineral reduction, lemon-lime and seaweed. The denser, succulent and powerful larger-scaled flavors are supported by a firm acid spine on the stony, youthfully austere and bitter citrus rind finale. This is quite dry and I very much like the balance though I would note that at least some patience is strongly suggested as this is quite tightly wound today. In a word, terrific.Burghound | 94 BHI always think of Vincent Dauvissat’s la Forest as his baby les Clos, as with ten years or more of bottle age, the two often resemble each other a bit aromatically and flavor-wise. The 2021 version of la Forest chez Dauvissat is going to be stellar. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a complex mix of pear, fresh lime, flinty minerality, citrus blossoms, discreet vanillin oak and a topnote of beeswax. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full, with a superb core of fruit, excellent complexity and cut, fine focus, bright acids and a long, complex and impeccably balanced finish. This is superb. (Drink between 2026 - 2060)John Gilman | 94 JGAlso a fine clear colour, though without a green tint. The Forest 2021 has a solid full fruit on the nose, perhaps less intense at the edges. Very pure white fruit, good acidity, not the volume which the 2022 will have but it is coming out very well even so. Drink from 2026-2033. Tasted: May 2023.Jasper Morris | 93 JM

Droin’s vines have an average age of 50 years with 1.75ha on Kimmeridgian marl with some blue-clay (Marne-bleu). As expected from Montée de Tonnerre, this has more power on the palate but also displays a remarkable balance between weight and elegance - ’complet’ as Benoit Droin says. It would be a shame to drink this before 2-3 years and it will keep a very long time. Finishes with a vibrant hit spicy zesty fruit.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre 1er Cru has perhaps the most austere bouquet amongst Droin’s Premier Crus, though it is very defined with subtle struck flint notes coming through. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh, superb acidity with real weight and concentration on the finish. Another superb wine from Droin this year.Vinous Media | 92-94 VMModerately generous wood stops short of fighting with the ripe white orchard fruit, wet stone and spice that also display just enough Chablis typicity to be interesting. A highly sophisticated mouthfeel suffuses the solidly dense middleweight flavors where an almost pungent minerality adds a sense of lift to the attractively dry and sneaky long finale. This beauty is a combination of power and refinement that should age effortlessly.Burghound | 91-94 BH

Droin owns 0.33ha in the renowned premier cru of Vaulorent. Benoît notes the higher incidence of limestone in the soils, giving more a more aromatic profile, great length and purity. Although the Droin premiers crus are all lovely wines, this is a distinct step up – a premier cru Chablis which would grace any table along with the world’s finest wines. Filigree, precise acidity on the palate – delicate, very refined, yet a wine which will last a very long time.Decanter | 95 DECThe 2021 Chablis Vaulorent 1er Cru has a more complex bouquet that matches the Mont de Milieu, real mineralité, struck flint scents blossoming in the glass. The palate is very cohesive with lemon and touches of apricot, spicy and very persistent on the finish. This is an excellent Chablis from Droin.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMSmoky white orchard fruit aromas enjoy added breadth in the form of acacia blossom, citrus rind and quinine. The exceptionally rich and solidly voluminous medium-bodied flavors display focused power and a subtle minerality on the clean, dry and more complex finale where a touch of wood appears. I very much like the persistence, and this should amply repay 6 to 10 years of keeping.Burghound | 91-93 BH

This is also distinctly earthy with humus nuances adding breadth to the aromas of violet, plum and red currant. The succulent, round and equally sappy medium weight flavors possess a highly appealing mouthfeel while the youthfully austere finish is also shaped by firm but fine-grained tannins. This silky effort could use better depth but it’s already quite pretty and should prove to be admirably ageworthy. (Drink starting 2031)Burghound | 90-93 BHMid crimson colour. Not one of the more ebullient noses at first, on its reserve. Plenty of weight of fresh fruit a little bit of fresh orange, otherwise raspberry and redcurrant, no great weight at the back but good length. This needs and will get a longer elevage. Drink from 2027-2033.Jasper Morris | 90-93 JM

Mid yellow, with a biscuity touch. Seems unsubtle until you get to the palate which is super powerful but also with subtlety. This Monopole vineyard comprises four distinct terroirs though they are always assembled. An electric backbone stops the power overturning the balance. Yellow fruit, and then an extraordinary, indeed grand cru, weight. Incisive white fruit finish. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted: December 2023.Jasper Morris | 95-97 JMThe 2022 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchère 1er Cru is one of the most shut down of the whites in this vast range. Mineral and savory notes abound, but fruit is decidedly pushed into the background. Citrus confit, crushed rocks, mint and white pepper all race across the palate. There’s quite a bit of youthful austerity at this stage, but this should come together in time. A whole range of complex floral and tropical nuances linger. - Antonio GalloniVinous Media | 93-95 VMGuillaume Boillot continues to work his nearly four hectares of old vines in the Clos de la Mouchère in several parcels; we tasted each section separately. The vines near the wood surrounding Clos de la Garenne have bright citrus notes with hints of flint and mineral. Those near Clavoillon have more of a ripe pear and marzipan aroma; they are less focused but have more density, elegance and depth. The combination makes a superb wine that is one of the delights of Boillot’s cellar.Decanter | 95 DEC